Daily pics #258

We've come from here. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1055444/#top

Here's a Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike to start the thread with.

Nice one Margaret! Thanks for starting the new thread!

Very nice one Margaret!

There were so many great pics on the last thread...I just loved all the hawk shots!

Burn, you asked about Blue Jays. It does seem we have a few more then last year. But We noticed right off this spring that they were being very productive this year! We had a lot more juvenile Blue Jays this summer into the fall. Of course this makes me very happy. Not sure my neighbors appreciate all the noise tho! LOL

Hey M, is that shrike on the osprey tree?

Thanks for the new thread Margaret...that photo really does look like a cross between a Shrike and a Cuckoo! Very cool looking bird and a very nice shot!

Thank you. Yes, Mrs Ed, it's perched on the "pole tree" just to the right of the nest tree.

Nice pic Margaret, I've been to the Kalahari over the weekend. Great time. I am busy looking through the pics and will add them when done, but here is a sneak pre-view....Lol! Giant Eagle Owl on her way out for the night...LOL.

Cape Vulture "head", they just fed, I took a few nice shots here....Times like this one wishes for BIG old camera, but I have to make due. I do not want to spoil all the fun, will do a proper thread later.

This message was edited Nov 16, 2009 5:06 PM

One more, Fiscal Flycatcher sitting in one of the Acacia's.

Nice ones Little!! Love the Eagle Owl.

Congratulations to the winners of the photo contest! The birds category had many winners from the regular bird watching forum, and all the photos were so beautiful! Very nice work!

Ditto on the congrats to the winners and runner-ups! Your photos are just awesome! National Geographic worthy!

Nice start to this thread Margaret and congrats again. I don't know how you could choose between all your fab osprey pics.

Little things, LOVE the owl! I so want to get a pic of an owl one day.

Yes...I would also like to congratulate the winners and runner-ups. I agree the photos are awesome...well done everyone!!

Love your birds Little...nice to see birds I'll never see in real life.

It is raining like crazy here but managed to get a few shots before the sky opened up again. This female Cardinal reminds me of a cross between a conehead and Andy Rooney...LOL!

Just a silly Goldfinch shot!

Last one...

LOL Rose! She does look like Andy Rooney/Conehead!

Congratulations to all the runner-ups along with winners in the photo contest. There were so many beautiful entries this year.

Hi folks,

Margaret that Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike is really something.

Little_things, nice set, especially the Eagle Owl

rose, that female cardinal sure has character

I got me a few pics. Here's a male Cardinal.

Hack

And a Tufted Titmouse.

Hack

Not a beautiful bird shot, but I have a flock of starling out back that I'd estimate at 2500 birds. A few cowbirds mixed in, but no other icterids I could see by glassing them.

Lousy weather here today, too.

Rose, CUTE!

Hack, love the titmouse especially.

Wow, dirt, wow.

This Cooper's Hawk tried to have lunch on me.

Man, oh man, if you haven't checked out the contest winners, do so - fantastic!

Hack

Goodness, dirt, that is a heck of a lot of birds!

Hack

Elphaba, nice looking hawk. I'm still looking to take a pic of a hawk. I see one now and again, but never when I have my camera.

PS - My in-laws live in Houston and my son and his new wife live in Austin.

Hack

I've been lurking and loving all the daily bird photo's, so many birds that are new to me. Isn't it great that we can share from all parts of the world?

The only bird I tried to get a shot of today isn't actually a bird bird ^_^ ... but a bird none the less. Space Shuttle Atlantis launched about twenty minutes ago, and I forgot to drive over to the beach to take pic's so I took them from my front yard. Of course with a little digital camera you can't see much but I thought I'd share a bird view of a different kind ...

There was some kind of a hawk in the sky ... the faint image to the right in this photo ...

Margaret: Is that Cuckoo Shrike anywhere near the location of the Osprey nest? I like that black mask on his face, the shape and coloration reminds me of the mocking birds common to this area.

Little_things: I love that Eagle Owl ... beautiful bird and the little Flycatcher is adorable!

dellrose: That female Cardinal is really pretty. It amazes me the difference in coloration some birds take on in different areas of the country and at different times of the year ... she looks to me like she has a winter coat! I just had to enlarge that last shot because I thought the little thumbnail looked like some huge, weird looking frog, LOL. Pretty Goldfinches! I've only seen them down here once in the 42 years I've been in Florida ... I think it was last year that a few visited my thistle feeders.

bltefft: The Northern Cardinal is one of my favorite birds, the male in your photo sure has vivid color. We see the little Tufted Titmouse birds every once in awhile but not often, they are so cute.

reddirtretiree: Now that has to be the most birds I've ever seen at one time! Made me think of the old Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds"!!

Elphaba: Great photo of the Cooper's Hawk! That is one beautiful bird! I never seem to be able to see any hawk perched ... they are usually flying above or whizzing past me really fast! What kind of tree is that he's perched in?

Hey, that bird has butterfly caterpillars on it!


Well, i'm glad to say that my little Red-breasted nuthatch has returned. It seems to be hiding all the peanuts. I saw where it put one!

and

Mrs_Ed: What a cute little bird ... another new one that I don't see down this way. Aren't birds just wonderful creatures? That peanut almost looks too big for the little fellow to swallow but it looks like he's going to swallow it whole.

Blue Jay for Miss Margaret

And the male Purple Finch showed up today. Here it is with a male house finch.

And lastly, Male house finches in my new home made feeder (see today's article).

What bird Mrs_Ed?

Hack

Cool feeder Mrs_Ed. Did you drill any holes in the bottom for drainage. Did you glue the cup to the saucer?

I like it.

Hack

Hack,

The article is here with instructions. Yes and Yes. LOL
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2720/


What do you mean what bird?

Love the Jay Mrs_Ed. Blue Jays have a bad rap with a lot of folks who think of them as bullies. We have lots of Jays and I've never seen one bully a smaller bird ... they all seem to go from feeder to feeder in my yard. Great pic of the finches at your lovely feeder! That was a nice article and I printed it out in hopes I can talk my husband into helping me make one or two or three ... Christmas coming, they will make great gifts!

yah, i think the Jays get a bad wrap too. They don't harrass anyone here, they are just loud and BIG.

From what my Dad tells me, Jays are different in different parts of the country. Where he lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Blue Jays are HUGE and really, really mean. When he visits me, he can't get over how small and "nice" my jays are.

Plantladylin, if you want to see a hawk perched, listen for the Jays. When a hawk perches in my area, the Jays call to each other. They come together from all the yards nearby. They gather in the tree with the hawk, screech wildly and dive bomb it repeatedly until it leaves. If I find the Jays which is easy b/c they are making so much noise, and then find the spot where they are diving, I can usually spot the hawk. At least that's true of the big hawks, even the blue jays seem to be too afraid to show themselves around a Cooper's Hawk.

Here is one more shot of the Cooper's Hawk. The tree is a Sycamore, but it's confusing b/c the tree is full of the dreaded potato vine. One day I was back there and I had to duck and cover when the wind blew and it started raining potatoes.

Great pictures from around the world.

I also like the "birds" photo by reddirtretiree.

Our Jays tend to scare the other birds away from the feeders at this time of year. Its only fair I guess, because come spring/summer time they not be allowed in the yard. The Robins and Grackles will mob them when nesting. It seems like every species have a month or two when they are in charge of the feeders/yard.

Oh Elphy! I've seen that hawk and Jay showdown here. The jays were making a huge racket and I couldn't figure it out. Until suddenly a hawk flew out of the lilac bush and they all followed it!